The present invention relates to a universal stopper for closing opened bottles, in particular for sparkling-wine or wine bottles.
Stoppers for closing opened bottles containing sparkling wine or other types of wine are known, said stoppers generally comprising a cylindrical central body housing a spring which acts against a disc having a rubber seal for hermetically closing the bottle in the vicinity of the top edge of the opening.
Fixing of the stopper to the bottle is performed by movable elements comprising a tooth designed to be inserted underneath the external lip of the bottle.
Not only are these stoppers somewhat expensive, but they are also complex from an operational point of view since they require the use of both hands during both closing and re-opening of the bottle.
Stoppers operating by means of expansion are also known, said stoppers having a central body designed to be introduced inside the mouth of the bottle. Said central body has a rubber annular portion which, following the action of an external lever having the function of a cam, expands against the internal surfaces of the neck of the bottle, forming a seal. The central body has, in fact, an internal spindle, at one end of which the lever is pivotably mounted. Lowering the lever produces raising of the spindle inside the central body of the stopper which compresses the rubber annular portion and forces it to expand radially.
In addition to problems of sealing, owing to the high pressure inside bottles containing sparkling wine, the application of stoppers with a rubber annular portion which are operated by a lever having the fuiction of a cam requires a considerable amount of force and the need to use both hands in order to operate the lever and keep the bottle still. Stoppers which are normally used to close bottles containing water are also known, said stoppers comprising a plurality of sealing tongues which are forced underneath the lip. These stoppers, which are usually made of metals or plastic, have the drawback that they cannot be easily removed, require a considerable amount of force in order to re-open the bottle and cannot withstand the pressure which is generated inside a bottle containing sparkling wine.
In order to overcome the abovementioned drawbacks, a type of stopper forming the subject of patent application PR94U000024 has been devised, said stopper being formed by means of a hollow cylindrical body containing a seal pressed by a spring against the top part of the mouth of the bottle. Locking of the stopper with respect to the bottle is performed by means of two tongues which are designed to be arranged underneath the lip of the bottle. The tongues are inclined with respect to the central body and connected thereto by means of joints which allow the said tongues to rotate.
The abovementioned stopper is very simple to apply, in particular owing to the fact that it may be applied using one hand only, but has some problems associated with sealing on account of the plastic material forming the tongues and the cylindrical body. In fact, after prolonged use, during which the tongues are subject to numerous opening and closing cycles and therefore numerous rotational movements about the joints, the said material tends to lose its elasticity, and the sealing action of the tongues underneath the lip is limited and not constant over time.
Moreover, although developed as a universal stopper, its structure does not have the versatility such that it may be applied to different bottles comprising in particular different types of lip.